The story goes like this. Back in the mid 1970s I was into KISS for about 30 seconds. My friend Bruce Sorozan (spelled wrong I’m sure - my apologies) was getting into comic collecting and told me that KISS were doing to appear in Howard the Duck #12, and then in a full-fledged way in #13. I went to our local variety store (“John’s” or Neighbourhood Variety) and Lloyd Monaghan, who was a comic collector and son of John Monaghan, sold me a copy of Howard the Duck #12. 

I dug Howard the Duck and I still do, though I’m a pretty passive fan now. I have an original page from #12 (I’m willing to sell it if if you are interested). I liked the rebel-duck without a cause vibe, and my interest in comics was always toward the marginal: underground comics, parody, EC/Mad, Eisner, Spiegelman, Crumb, existential water fowl from Cleveland: Howard the Duck #12 was the gateway drug. 

My interest in comics comes and goes. I worked at four different comic stores. I worked at comic conventions. I showed my comic collection to Prince Phillip (honest) at one of those Duke of Edinburgh Prize visits he used to make (I believe were in the conference centre of the Hotel Toronto/L’Hotel/The Hilton). I collected thousands of comics. I sold them all. I regressed during the del Toro exhibition and installed about 1800 comics in our exhibition. I made sure we had a run of the original Howard the Duck series. 

The KISS comic came out (“printed with real blood!”) and it was pretty good, with better paper, printing and finishes then typical Marvel and DC fare. By then I was into punk, new wave, and many things that weren’t KISS. 

And I got into zines (next!).